Serial murderers who have plagued the greater Cleveland area

The Federal Bureau of Investigation defines serial murder as the killing of two or more victims by the same offender(s), in separate events. 

The Greater Cleveland Area has been plagued by serial killers for over 90 years. Some of its infamous serial killers have been featured in modern day media such as Criminal Minds and Monster, even though these crimes happened years ago. So put on your detective hat, pick up your magnifying glass and have a seat. 

The Torso Murders 1935 – 1938

A series of killings committed from 1935, September to 1938 August. 

The bodies were mostly discovered near Kingsbury Run and the killer developed the nickname The Mad Butcher of Kingsbury Run. 7 men and 5 women were discovered, but only their torsos, as most were dismembered and all were decapitated.

The victimology consisted of lower class citizens and the murderer was never discovered. The victims were people who lived in homeless encampments or places consisting of handmade dwellings. The murderer was never caught, however the murders ended when the safety director at the time sentenced the victim’s encampment to be burned to the ground.

Frank Dolezal confessed to one murder, but died of suicide before further investigation or proof could be found. 

Jeffrey Dahmer 1978 – 1991

One of the most well-known serial killers from Ohio is Jeffrey Dahmer.

Jeffrey Dahmer was born on May 21, 1960 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and later attended and graduated from Revere High School in Richfield, Ohio. Dahmer’s first murder was in Bath Township, Ohio (near Akron, Ohio) in 1978.

After an almost ten year cool-down period, Dahmer killed again, this time in Wisconsin. Jeffrey Dahmer killed 15 men spanning over about 10 years. Although there have been serial killers with more victims, Jeffrey Dahmer is notorious due to his crimes involving necrophilia and cannibalism. He was caught in 1991 and sentenced to serve over 15 consecutive life terms. After spending 3 years in prison, Dahmer was murdered by a fellow inmate. 

Robert Rembert Jr. 1997 – 2018

Robert Rembert Jr was a truck driver from Bedford Ohio and killed five people in a span of 21 years, starting in 1997.

Rembert would rape and murder his victims, leaving them in public places such as bathrooms so they could be easily discovered. He was sentenced to at least 30 years in prison with a possibility of parole,causing public uproar. 

Some of the victim’s families who spoke at his hearing were distraught and felt the punishment was not severe enough. 

Anthony Sowell 2009 – 2011

Anthony Sowell killed eleven women in Cleveland, Ohio from 2009 – 2011 and hid their remains on his property. 

Victims families later expressed frustration that Sowell had been released from prison after choking and raping a woman in 2005. 

Sowell was sentenced to the death penalty during his trial after attempting to plead not guilty due to insanity. He appealed his first sentence and in 2016, the Ohio Supreme Court upheld the death sentence, and when he attempted to appeal further the U.S. supreme court denied to hear his case. In early 2021, Sowell was admitted to an end-of-life care unit due to a terminal illness.

Over the years, there’ve been several serial killers in Ohio, some not included in this list (since they’re not in the greater cleveland area). This story does not seek to glorify the violence, but to remember those whose lives were stolen and the families left to carry the weight. As always, stay vigilant, and lock your doors.